Friends, family honor former ASU triathlete Hannah Henry

TEMPE – On Sunday morning, canoes of all colors coasted along Tempe Town Lake’s calm waters, which glistened in the sun. 

If it had been any other day, or any other group of people, the backdrop set against North Shore Beach would have been easier to appreciate. But for the tight-knit community of cyclists who gathered in the sand with heavy hearts, it was a day of mourning and remembrance.

The turnout was in honor of Hannah Henry, an NCAA triathlete and two-time national champion who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while on a bike ride in south Phoenix just a week earlier 

The 26-year-old Victoria, British Columbia, native and ASU alumnus was found at the scene with serious injuries. Firefighters pronounced Henry dead soon afterward. 

The driver, 46-year-old Eric Hodge, admitted to being under the influence of drugs – including fentanyl –- at the time of the accident, according to court documents. Hodge swerved into the bike lane and rear-ended Henry before he drove away. 

He was subsequently arrested on charges of reckless manslaughter, leaving the scene of a deadly crash, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The ceremony was set to start at 11 a.m., but the emotions began pouring out well before that. Cars traveling across nearby bridges passed by without a second thought, oblivious to the tears shed and sobs shared below them. 

Roughly 100 faces graced North Shore Beach to pay their respects, many of whom had never met Henry. Several of those who were close to Henry took a moment to speak and share memories. Some anecdotes brought pained laughs, others more tears. 

“I know wherever you are right now, you’re doing what you loved: riding a bike, because that’s what you loved,” said Audrey Ernst, a friend and former teammate. “I will see Hannah every time I see a pink sunset, and I know that she’s here looking down on us and smiling.”

Along with her family and friends, several of Henry’s former coaches and teammates were in attendance, including Nicole Welling, former director of ASU triathlon operations and assistant coach from 2018-23. 

“From a coach’s perspective, she was like an absolute dream,” Welling said. “She trained really hard, and she was extremely talented in a lot of different things, not just racing. She was a straight-A student and just all around an amazing young woman.”

Henry competed in the 2014 and 2017 BC Summer Games. She also represented Canada at the international level, including in the junior world championships and at the 2019 Pan American Games. 

She attended ASU from 2017-23, where she won two individual NCAA championships as well as four additional team titles. To those around her, she was a light of love and inspiration, even when life’s challenges stood in her way. 

“Hannah was one of the most tenacious people that I know,” said Olivia Jenks, a former ASU teammate of Henry’s who competed alongside her for four years. “She never quit. She would always be going 100%, and she pushed us to be better athletes and better women.”

Henry graduated summa cum laude in 2021 with her Bachelor of Science in business entrepreneurship and a minor in nutrition and healthy living. In 2023, she completed her master’s in global management with a focus on sustainability solutions. 

To those who knew Henry well, the life lost didn’t just belong to a successful NCAA triathlete. A dedicated Taylor Swift fan, Henry also knew when it was time to switch off her competitive side. One of her favorite pastimes was filming TikTok dances with her friends.

“For these girls on the team now and everyone else that knew her, her impact will be everlasting because she lived life to the fullest in all aspects,” said Tamara Ferdinand, an assistant coach with the ASU triathlon program.

The family’s attorneys will be handling the civil case while relying on the district attorney to handle the criminal case. Co-counsel Kent Hammond expects a grand jury indictment for Hodge within the next 10 days. 

“We want to keep pressure with the prosecution and the ultimate goal is to get the maximum sentence for somebody that does something like this, especially under these circumstances,” Hammond said. “He was high on fentanyl and runs somebody over and doesn’t even have the human decency to stick around at the scene.”

Hodge told the judge during his initial court appearance that he’d fallen asleep at the wheel and didn’t realize he had hit anyone. He said he would’ve stopped if he had realized what had happened. 

“It just goes to show what an absolute tragedy this is,” Welling said. “All of those people who showed up were just a fraction of all the people that loved for (Henry) and cared for her and wished to see her succeed. Many people are going to feel this loss for a very long time.”

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